The invention is related to the technology of electromagnetic separation of chemical elements, in particular, to electromagnetic separation of low natural concentration isotopes. The invention can be most efficiently used for industrial electromagnetic separating stable isotopes of low natural concentration.
A process is known for separating isotopes of chemical elements applied for industrial electromagnetic separation of isotopes (N. A. Kascheev, V. A. Dergatchev xe2x80x9cElectromagnetic separating isotopes and isotopic analysisxe2x80x9d. M. xe2x80x9cEnergoatomizdatxe2x80x9d, 1989, pp. 68, 86-109). The process for separating isotopes of chemical elements described in this known art reference comprises the following. A working substance of the element is loaded in a crucible of the source, and is heated up to forming vapors of the working substance. The vapors of the working substance come to a gas-discharge chamber of the source, where they are ionized under action of electron emission from a hot cathode. The ions are withdrawn from the gas-discharge chamber, and shaped into an ion beam by electrodes of an ion-optical system. During the path through an evacuated separating chamber, the ion beams of isotopes of chemical elements are separated in a magnetostatic field depending on mass of isotopes, are focused by this field and are caught by the relevant boxes of the receiver. The isotopes are then extracted from the receiver boxes by electrochemical etching of the internal surface of the receiver.
A process for enrichment of isotopes is known comprising accumulation of isotopes in pockets of the receiver of the magnetic separator and extraction of the accumulated enriched substance, wherein the internal surfaces of the receiver pockets are cleaned from the beam material before extraction of the enriched substance, and extraction of the enriched substance, is performed by deep chemical etching of the pockets surface with subsequent extraction of the isotope from the etching products. (RU 1717197 of Jan. 20, 1988, by Datsko N.J. et al.). FIG. 2 depicts a device as disclosed in RU 1717197 that is used to separate ions in accordance with the prior art. As seen in this figure, the separation chamber 21 includes an ion source 22 of a magnetic separator which creates ion beams 23 that are received in pockets 24 of a receiver 25.
The present invention provides a process for obtaining a higher enrichment level of enrichment of low natural concentration isotopes.
The claimed process for separating stable low natural concentration isotopes in an electromagnetic separator with a ion source comprises arranging a working substance in an ion source crucible, heating the working substance up to vapor forming, ionizating the vapors in a gas-discharge chamber of the source under action of hot cathode electron emission, forming an ion beam by electrodes of ion-optical system, separating and focusing the ion beams of isotopes in a magnetic field and catching the ions in boxes of the receiver, exposing the boxes of the receiver to X-ray spectral analysis to identify those areas having heightened content of isotope enriched substance, removing the isotope enriched substance from these areas, and separately treating the remaining areas of the surface of the receiver""s boxes.